Condenser



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000 l 0000 s 000V 00 00000./ 000000... 9000000000000.: 0000000000.. .@wwwvwwnnm 000009; @M0039 .00000000070000000000 000000200 000 2000000011.. 0000000 000000 a, .0000000 000000030000000 0000000 f 000000 0000002?. 000000 000000. l 000000 000000000000000 000N000; 000 00 .0000000 la 0.0000 000000 l 000000m/.0000000 00 00..16 0 00 .0000000 f 000000 000000 .00 00 Patented Sept. 19, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONDENSER APPARATUS Pennsylvania Application May 18, 1938, Serial No. 208,524

1 Claim.

This invention relates to surface condensers and more particularly to circulating systems therefor, and it has for an object the provision of a novel arrangement of inlet and discharge openings and valves therefor to provide for reversal of flow of circulating water through the condenser.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means, operable during operation of the condenser, to reverse the flow of water therethrough, to provide for removal of foreign matter therein.

These and other objects are effected by my invention as will be apparent from the following description and claim, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. is a diagrammatic elevational view of a condenser embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line III-III of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; and,

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View similar to Fig. 2, but showing the invention applied to an alternative condenser construction.

In certain condenser installations, it may frequently be necessary to clean the path of the cooling water to remove leaves or other foreign matter which has been carried into the apparatus by the water, whose source may be a river, lake, or the like. Such foreign matter, which collects against and covers the ends of the tube, can, to a considerable degree, be washed off by reversing the direction oi ow of the Water through the condenser. Such reversal of flow may be eiected by the means hereinafter disclosed, without interruption of the operation of the condenser.

In the drawing, there is shown, at I0, a condenser comprised by a shell I I, having an exhaust steam inlet I2 at the top thereof, tube plates I3 at each end of the shell, water boxes I4 and I5 adjacent the tube plates I3, and a plurality of tubes Ita extending longitudinally of the shell and having their terminal portions mounted in the tube plates.

In the construction herein shown, the condenser is of the two-pass type, and the Water box I4 is provided with a longitudinally extending partition I6 separating the interior into inlet and outlet chambers I'I and I8, respectively. The Water box is provided with an inlet I9 and an outlet 2 I, and flow of Water therethrough is controlled by the novel valve means 22, hereinafter described.

The inlet I9 and outlet 2l are provided with radially extending flanges 23 having at the outer edges of their outer faces rabbets 24, providing 5 annular recesses 26, in which are received valve disk members 2l. A supply pipe 28 and discharge pipe 29, having elbows 3I, are provided with flanges 32 abutting the rabbets 24, and secured thereto in any suitable manner, as by bolting. 10

As shown in Fig. 3, the valve discs 21 are provided with ports 33, of semi-circular configuration, and so disposed as to provide annular rims 34 to be received in the recesses 26 of the iianges 23. 15

The inlet I9 and outlet 2| are so disposed in the periphery oi the water box that they overlie concentrically the edges of the partition I6, whereby they communicate with both the inlet chamber I1 and the outlet chamber I8, thus providing sepa- 20 rate inlet passages 36 and 31 and separate outlet passages 38 and 39, the passages 36 and 38 communicating with the outlet chamber and the passages 31 and 39 communicating with the inlet chamber. 25

With the valve members 21 in the position shown, flow of water is permitted only through the inlet passage 31 to the inlet chamber, through the tubes I3a to the water box I5 at the other end of the condenser, thence back through the re- 30 maining tubes to the outlet chamber i8, and finally through the passage 38 to the discharge pipe 29.

The flow of water through the condenser is reversed simply by rotating each of the valves 35 This results in closing the passages 3T and 38 and opening 36 and 39, allowing entry of water to the outlet chamber I8 from whence it will flow through the tubes to the water box I5 and back to the inlet chamber I'I, where it will leave the 40 condenser through the passage 39 and the discharge pipe 29.

Means are provided for rotating the valve discs 21, and comprise shafts 4I extending axially of the valve discs, with the free ends extending 45 through and beyond the walls of the elbows 3I. To prevent leakage at the point of passage through the walls of the elbows, stufiing boxes 42 are provided, having packing 43 retained therein by caps 44. Handwheels 46 are provided on the 5o valve shafts to aid rotation.

Preferably, vanes 41 are provided in the elbows 3| midway of the walls thereof, to direct the flow of Water to the opened passages and reduce turbulence in the elbows. 55

In Fig. 4, there is shovvn the application of the same valve arrangement to a` condenser construction of the type ldisclosed in my prior Patent No, 1,381,024; granted November 11, 1930. AThis condenser diifers from that described above solely in the provision of a baille 48 providing outlet passage 49 and ensuring complete :flooding of all of the tubes of the condenser.

While I have shown my invention in several forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art Y that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modications Without departing from the spirit thereof, and Iv desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claim. Y

What I claim is:

A surface condenser comprising a shell having an exhaust steam inlet and a condensate outlet; a waterbox at each end of the shell; tube plates separating the. waterboxes from the interior of the shell; a plurality of tubes extending longitudinally of the shell from end to end thereof with their ends mounted inthe tube plates; one of said Waterboxes constituting a reversing chamber; a partition extending longitudinally of the other Water box dividing it into rst and second chambers, said Waterbox having an inlet and an outlet in its side walls overlying the side edges of said partition and communicating with both chambers of said Waterbox; annular flanges defining the exterior of the inlet and of the outlet and being rabbeted to provide radially inward facing recesses in the outer faces thereof; a disclike valve member rotatably received in each recess with its inner face adjacent the edge of the partition and having a semi-circular opening therethrough; supply and discharge pipes having anges at one end overlying the flanges of the inlet and outlet, respectively, and preventing displacement of the valve members from their recesses; and means extending exteriorly of the pipes and condenser for rotating said valve members, whereby in one position of the valves the supply and discharge pipes communicate only with said rst and second chambers, respectively, for normal flow of Water from said rst chamber through some of the tubes to the reversing chamber and then back through the remaining tubes to said second chamber, and in another position of the valves the supply and discharge pipes communicate only With the second and rst chambers', respectively, to effect reversal of the Water circulation through the condenser to cause removal of foreign matter collected in said condenser during normal operation thereof.

JOSEPH P. LIDIAK. 

